Slipping through time
by Lil'bit'of'inu
Summary: Gaara was 8 when he met the girl he loved, 10 when she dissapeared, 12 when he tried to kill her, and 19 when she told him she had always loved him. GaaraxSaku, Gaara mostly OOC, Sakura kinda OOC. the rating will change as i write the story
1. Chapter 1

The sand whirled restlessly, darting this way and that, like a first time mother trying to soothe her crying baby

The sand whirled restlessly, darting this way and that, like a first time mother trying to soothe her crying baby.

Gaara thought that might have been what was happening, after all Yashmaru had said that he believed the sand had his mother's will living in it. Gaara sat silently staring out at the village as it slept, the sand acted as a buffer for the cold night breeze blowing in off the desert.

The sand was agitated, and moving like a snake flattened itslef to form a wall around him. The kunai that had been aimed at his back fell harmlessly to the ground as Gaara turned young eyes wide with shock. The masked figure stood not far away, hidden within the shadows, another kunai in the air and one hand on the pouch. Gaara went still, not moving even to breathe as the young boys rage built.

"Why? Why do you hate me? What did I do to you?" he advanced, slowly closing his immature little fists. The sand closed around the assassin, creeping closer and closer with Gaara's footsteps. "What did I do to deserve this? I don't understand..."

"..." silence rained as the masked man just stood there letting the little boy vent his rage, before laughing softly as he threw another kunai, "Why you ask? Because you're a monster! You don't deserve to live... You never did."

Gaara's little fist contracted in rage, unable to comprehend this blatant hate. As his fists closed fully the man was blown from the shadows, hitting the wall with enough force to crack it and liquidize his internal organs.

"..." There were no screams of pain, no pleas for mercy there was only silence. Silence punctuated by ragged breathing. Gaara approached apprehensively unsure of what he had done to this man.

"Are you... did I? No I couldn't have!" His questions faded as he stopped an arm's length from the prone figure. He reached, still shaking in fear as he grasped the mask tentatively and slowly pulled. The mask dropped to the ground with a muffled thump.

"Yashmaru?" Gaara's voice broke as he tried to hold in the fear. "Why Yashmaru? Why would you do this?"

"Because your father ordered me to." Gaara had known for a long time now that he was different to his siblings, this proved it. The Kazekage had never attempted to kill his other children, not like he had done to Gaara.

"Why...Why did you?" Gaara tried to force out the rest of the question but his throat locked up as he tried to understand. "You didn't have to. You had a choice didn't you...? Didn't you Yashmaru?"

"I had a choice Gaara; I chose to do this, to avenge my sister. To make sure that you, the cause of her pain, her suffering... her death, would never breathe again. I failed...but as long as you know this and bring down your father, it won't matter that I died." Tears filled Gaara's eyes as Yashmaru harshly barked out his answer. "I chose to do this... because I hate you."

As Gaara's eyes bugged out, the sand started to swirl again, feeling a threat but not able to act. Gaara stared at the broken body of his uncle as he drew his last breath.

"Because... you don't deserve love or life."

Then the world fell apart. Gaara knelt beside his uncle unable to reconcile this image of him; broken, bloodied, dead, with the image of his carer; a happy young man leading Gaara through his life. Gaara stared uncomprehendingly at the shell of the man in front of him. The shell of the man who had taught him about pain and love. Gaara blinked, a warm wetness trickling in his left eye blocking out his uncle. His hand unclenched and the sound of metal striking stone resounded in the silence.

He was branded, a monster with a warning... Love, carved forever in his skins so he would not forget.


	2. Chapter 2

The sand whirled restlessly, darting this way and that, like a first time mother trying to soothe her crying baby

Chapter 2

The sand lashed out, blocking a wave of shuriken as it flew from the shadows. Around the young boy lay countless shuriken, kunai, katana, cracked poison vials and senbon. He was being attacked. He was losing.

Gaara just stood in the open market square not bothering to hide from the 14 shinobi surrounding him. His sand had already dispatched six, now free from his control it acted as a shield, blocking all their attacks and suicide runs.

Gaara had long given up trying to protect himself. He had long ago stopped trying to escape these assassins. He was ready to die; begging for the sweet release death would bring from this sleepless hell the mortals called life.

Just as he sank slowly to his knees bored with the attempts on his life, a young girl arrived. Maybe arrived isn't the right word. The girl appeared, falling from the sky to land with a resounding crash, scant centimeters from the young boy. As the rubble cleared form the air, the sand lashed out striking a would be assassin as he crept through the smoke.

The young girl moaned and sitting up rubbed her head, seemingly unaware of the battle taking place around her. She gasped leaping to her feet, readying herself to face an opponent. Her head cocked to the side, elbow length hair cascading over her right shoulder as she assessed this new arena.

She shrugged as a kunai flew past her and then flinched when it was flung right back at the man who had thrown it. She half turned, notincing the young boy for the first time as she fought to see past the veil of sand that protected him.

"Gaara-sama? What are you doing..." the question never finished as she jolted, a kunai burying itself in the back of her right thigh.

The young girl turned, anger blazing in her eyes. She looked into the man's eyes. Laughing at the apparent shock that lay unmasked on his face she reappeared behind him, brutally twisting his head to the left. CRACK. She had broken his neck before proceeding to take out the rest of the assassins with nothing but a kunai and her fists.

She never actually moved from the spot. Blood poured down her leg, soaking the ground beneath her crimson. She flung the first kunai; it passed through one man's windpipe and entered the skull of another with a sickening thud. Slamming her fist left fist into the ground a long deep gash opened beneath the other men, before collapsing on them burying them alive.

The young girl turned, her face covered with a sheen of sweat, fatigue showing in her every movement.

"Gaara-sama...are you alright?" the young girl gasped as she fell to one knee, clutching her stomach as blood seeped through her clothing. Collapsing in a heap she threw one hand out to Gaara as he turned to inspect the new arrival.

Her green eyes slid shut as her head hit the ground, almost before Gaara noticed them. _How does she know my name? Better yet why isn't she afraid of me?_ Gaara stood slowly, and surveying the young girl as he walked, he approached her prone figure.

Her long brunette hair spread over the ground, cushioning her face from the dirt. Her clothes were dirty, torn and bloodied. The tight fitting shorts ending just above the kunai protruding from her right thigh. Her top lay open; an unbuttoned blouse covering a mesh shirt, her arms covered in metal protectors and gloved adorning her delicate looking hands. He noticed her barefoot state but couldn't decide what colour he clothing was as the moonlight faded. He grunted and turned to walk away.

_Gaara-sama...are you alright?_ The obvious compassion in her voice echoed in his head, stopping him in his tracks. Not sure why he was doing it Gaara turned and made his way back to her. He picked her up, and slung her over his shoulder, before teleporting to his house.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The two figures in the clearing were still. The only movement, a fluttering black cloak imprinted with red clouds. Emerald green eyes glared at crimson Sharingan. Green blinked and her opponent was gone. Cursing the girl turned her lithe figure cutting through the soft breeze.

Sakura jumped as high as she could a wave of Shuriken tracing her path. Landing on her feet Sakura darted right and disappeared into the tree line.

_Where is he? His chakra is masked… over there. This time… this time he will pay for what he did to Sasuke, and to Naruto._

Sakura launched herself forward twisting to throw her palms towards Itachi. Hidden in the trees Itachi watched impassively as she attempted yet another jutsu. This time, when the wave of her chakra reached him he held out his hands.

Sakura gasped as a tugging sensation moved her chakra. _How is that even possible._

It was then that she noticed the color of the sky, a misty red over black.

_Damn, a genjutsu, how long have I been in here and what has he done?_

Hands out she grimaced, "Kai."

The world fell apart as the genjutsu dissolved leaving her face to face with Itachi. Sakura froze, her imminent death was staring her in the face and all she could focus on was the small pile of sand at the base of the tree. Itachi's hand swept up as the bell chimed on his hat.

Kunai clashed as Sakura backpedalled furiously. Itachi mirrored her moves exactly, each blow being delivered with slightly more force and intent behind it. He flickered and Sakura grimaced.

Spinning she found herself alone in the clearing. Then she heard the first words he had said all battle. The words she had prayed never to hear. Hanging from an overhead branch, Sharingan spinning, Itachi just smirked at her.

"Your weak and annoying kunoichi… just like my little brother. I'm obviously wasting my time here, and since you're presence is no longer required I think I will dispose of you." Sakura gasped softly as that dreaded word slipped from his lips. "Tsukiyomi."

As she phased out of reality Sakura noticed the pile of sand again.

_I wonder if this is how Gaara felt when Deidara killed him? Was the last thing he saw before he died the uninterested hate on his killers face. _

* * *

As the pinkette slumped to the ground Itachi's hands moved in a flurry of precise hand signs, his Sharingan still spinning. His eyes narrowed as they focused on the slender neck in front of him, soft skin left uncovered as the pink strands splayed outwards.

His hands met soft pink skin with no mercy as he bit out the name of the jutsu, his chakra icy and unforgiving, as he imagined her destination. Itachi always had been a pacifist, and he refused to have anymore innocent blood on his hands. Hopefully she would understand when he saw her next. If she lived that long.

"Altered Time Migration".

* * *

Sakura was unconscious her green eyes open and unfocused as she attempted to break out of the Tsukiyomi. Terror filling her mind as she tried to block out her surroundings. Tensing at a sound to her left, her eyes rising to clash with brilliant blue. Sakura opened her mouth lips forming a single word before she began to scream helplessly, body riddled with pain.

As she succumbed once more to the darkness, two words echoed through her mind.

"Forgive me".


End file.
